JABCAT

Hello,
I just picked up a 2012 Grand Sport this past weekend, and it appears the previous owner lowered both the front & rear of the vehicle. The front is too low (front lip sits 3.25" above the ground) and scrapes on everything. I can't even get in and out of my driveway without scraping the front stock lip. I'm wanting to add a ZR-1 front splitter & side skirts, but am afraid that will get ripped off immediately. What is the easiest way to raise the front end up a bit, and what is the stock ride height? Thanks very much for the assistance.

JJLAI724

Check to see if your GS has been lowered onto the stock bolts. It may just need to be adjusted to give you an inch or so back in right height.

Cuckoo

FYI My STOCK 2011 GS front lip sits at 6" above the ground. So you may be a few inches down. ?

Gryphon_

Not sure if this poster means the bottom of the air dam (black plastic) or bottom of the bumper (fiberglass, body color) as 6" seems very high for the air dam.

In any event - per the user manual the plastic air dam is designed to scrape on driveways and speedbumps without being damaged. Mine does it too, I'm at 3".

Dont worry about it, its a 'feature'. My car is about 3/4" lower than stock which is about same as yours.

Cuckoo

The 6" is the very front lip, spoiler, splitter on the front of the Grand Sport not the scraping 3 pc air dam underneath.

JABCAT

Looking underneath, the plastic air dam is damaged (the side pieces look like they have been ripped from the center section), but the front stock "splitter" is scraped up pretty good already too. I don't want to add a carbon fiber ZR-1 splitter and have that damaged. The other issue is I have a curb at the edge of my driveway, not a flat entry from the street, so even going up/down at an angle scrapes the heck out of the front. I've read something about lowering bolts, is that something I can adjust in my garage or does the car need to be in the air?

jdvann

Do the opposite of what this guy is doing...notice he uses a floor jack to relieve the tension on the spring before turning the adjustment bolts. I recommend pre-lubeing the bolts and letting sit a bit for the lube to have time to work.

Cuckoo

Just measured the 3 pc air dam underneath my stock height Grand Sport.

It is 3-3/4" from the ground up. If I were in your situation I wouldn't mess with an expensive splitter unless you are willing to be ok with it getting scraped up and possibly damaging underneath the bumper where it attaches too.
My stock splitter or lip got pushed back in the center by a parking curb and cracked underneath the painted bumper around 1 mounting hole underneath the bumper. Can't see it. I was able to secure it by holding the jam nut against the now larger hole while tightening and using a small strip of 3m trim tape. Looks and works fine.

Any way its part of owning a Grand Sport I guess.

buckmeister2

I don't see any possible way you have 6"of ground clearance...are you sure?

HOXXOH

Stock height for a base measured from the floor to the fenderwell lip at the centerline of the wheel is 27.4 for front and 28.7 for rear.
Z06 is 27.3 front and 28.2 rear. All dimensions are taken with no driver and a full gas tank. The acceptable tolerance is +/- .4".
I would set a GS to the Z06 specs.

Drive it a bit, maybe 50 miles or so to let everything settle in place and recheck. Once you're satisfied, get an alignment.

Cuckoo

Yes, just measured it again at 6". I'm not talking about the 3 pc underneath air dam. I'm talking about the black plastic full length "splitter" on the front.

Gryphon_

Looks like he is applying the jack to the end of the leaf spring rather than the point specified in the manual. Is that correct? Does anything else have to be jacked or undone apart from the actual bolts?

Detroit1

Hello, yes that is correct and the method I used to raise my 2011 GS when I picked it up.

After you raise it back to the OEM height in line with the measurements posted using the center of wheel ground to wheel well lips .

I then had a PDFAT street performance specs alignment done. This should give you less camber and better inner tire wear in front.

JB

jdvann

Exactly...lift the car and support it with stands at the height needed to gain access. Then use a small jack with a small piece of wood (for better access to the spring) to raise just the end of the spring to reduce tension on the ride height adjustment bolt. As you put pressure on the spring with the jack it will almost lift that corner (and may) but the spring will come up at the last moment

JABCAT

thanks for those measurements, my front is exactly 25” from the ground to the lip of the fender well & read is 27.5” so it looks like I’ll be moving them up.

JABCAT

Thanks to everyone for the help. I was able to raise the front up about 1.5” today so now the front fender well measures 26.5” from the ground & no more scraping getting out of my driveway.

Dano523

Just a FYI, but the ride height bolts are use to 4 corner balance the car.

If the old owner just slammed the car down with the bolt lowered all the way down, he in fact de-4 corner balanced the car isntead.

Use the Z-06 heights to get you close, then when you have time, find a shop that get the car on scales to final tune the corner balance in the end.

At 7:38, you can see the tech in the pit doing a one over under the car, as well as final adjusting ride height bolts to the corner balance it as well.